Carrier Vessel with Tender Boat Storage

ABSTRACT

A watercraft includes a cavity on the front upper deck for storage and transport of a tender boat. The cavity conforms to a hull of the tender boat, accepting the tender boat such that the tender boat shifts minimally with movement of the watercraft. In some embodiments, a retractable crane deploys from beneath the front upper deck for deploying and retrieving the tender boat. When the tender boat is absent, optionally, a solid cover is placed over the cavity. When the crane is retracted, a cover covers the crane boom and crane mast.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional utility application taking priority from U.S. provisional patent application 63/319,619 filed Mar. 14, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of watercraft and more particularly to a system for dinghy storage on the deck of a watercraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Often, larger watercraft such as fishing boats and yachts carry a smaller boat for various reasons such as visiting areas that are too shallow for the larger watercraft, for transporting passengers to/from shore, for fishing, etc. For transportation of this dinghy or tender boat, it is desired that the dinghy/tender be secured to the larger watercraft. This is often performed using chocks on which the tender boat sits, with tie-downs to keep the tender boat from moving or causing damage to itself or damage to the larger watercraft.

As many such larger watercraft have large forward decks, this space offers ample room for a dinghy to be stored on chocks and space for a crane to raise and lower the tender boat in and out of the water. As the tender boat, the chocks, and the crane are heavy, the forward deck is often preferred for weight distribution reasons.

Unfortunately, when the tender boat is not present, the chocks and the crane remain on the forward deck and many large watercraft owners do not like the look of the chocks and crane. Additionally, the chocks and crane create a tripping hazard and add wind resistance. Further, the chocks and crane consume valuable deck space making it difficult to lounge on the deck, as many people often enjoy.

What is needed is a storage and deployment system for a tender boat that will hide when the tender boat is not present.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A watercraft has a cavity on the front upper deck for storage and transport of a tender boat. The cavity conforms to a hull of the tender boat, accepting the tender boat such that the tender boat shifts minimally with movement of the watercraft. A retractable crane deploys from beneath the front upper deck for deploying and retrieving the tender boat. When the tender boat is absent, optionally, a solid cover is placed over the cavity. Likewise, when the crane is retracted, a cover covers the crane arm and crane mast.

In one embodiment, a watercraft is disclosed including a hull having a front upper deck. The watercraft includes a crane having a telescoping crane mast and a crane arm. A base of the telescoping crane mast is mounted to the watercraft (e.g., to the substructure of the watercraft) below the front upper deck and a mast of the crane extends through the front upper deck. The crane boom telescopes between a retracted position in which the crane boom rests within a crane cavity formed in the front upper deck and an extended position in which the crane boom is above the front upper deck. A cradle that is sized and shaped for accepting a tender boat is formed in the front upper deck. The crane is used for moving the tender boat from the cradle and into a body of water on which the watercraft floats and is used for moving the tender boat from the body of water and back into the cradle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior-art watercraft having a tender boat and a crane on the front upper deck.

FIG. 2 illustrates a prior-art watercraft having chocks for a tender boat and a crane on the front upper deck.

FIG. 3 illustrates a watercraft having a retractable crane stowed below the front upper deck and a tender boat resting in a cavity or cradle formed in the front upper deck.

FIG. 4 illustrates the watercraft having a retractable crane stowed below the front upper deck with access door open and the tender boat resting in a cavity or cradle formed in the front upper deck.

FIG. 5 illustrates the watercraft having a retractable crane extending from the front upper deck and the tender boat being deployed into the water by the crane.

FIG. 6 illustrates the cavity or cradle in the front upper deck of the watercraft and a storage compartment for the crane.

FIG. 7 illustrates the front upper deck of the watercraft having an optional lining within the cavity or cradle for a user to rest upon as well as an optional Bimini for shade.

FIG. 8 illustrates the cavity in the front upper deck of the watercraft having an optional cover shell that covers the cavity or cradle when the tender boat is not within the cavity.

FIG. 9 illustrates inner mechanisms of the crane and substructure of an exemplary watercraft.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate use of the cavity or cradle for fuel storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.

Throughout this description, the term watercraft is used to denote any vessel that is large enough to carry a dinghy/tender thereon, for example, larger fishing boats, yachts, etc. The term tender boat is used to denote any smaller boat that is carried by the watercraft irrespective of how and where this smaller boat is carried. Examples of tender boats include smaller fishing boats, flats boats, row boats, and lifeboats. There is no restriction as to the sizes of the watercraft and tender boat so long as the watercraft is large enough to carry the dinghy.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a prior art watercraft 101 is shown having a tender boat 104 and a prior art crane 110 on the front upper deck 100 in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 shows the prior art chocks 102 for a tender boat 104 and the prior art crane 110 on the front upper deck 100 absent the tender boat 104. As discussed, it is often desired for a watercraft to carry a tender boat 104 for use as a dinghy to port people and goods to shore, for reaching shallow areas, for fishing, etc. As discussed, it is also beneficial to maintain good weight balance of the watercraft. Therefore, in the past, many tender boats 104 were carried on prior art chocks 102 mounted to the front upper deck 100 of the prior art watercraft 101. Further, to launch and berth the tender boat 104, often the prior art crane 110 is mounted to the front upper deck 100 of the prior art watercraft 101 by mountings 112.

As can be seen in FIG. 2 , when the tender boat 104 is not present on the prior art chocks 102 (e.g., is left at port or is in use), the prior art chocks 102 and prior art crane 110 remain mounted to the front upper deck 100 of the prior art watercraft 101, limiting possible use of the front upper deck 100 (e.g., for sun bathing), increasing wind resistance while underway, and distracting from the appearance of the prior art watercraft 101. It is known that many owners of such watercraft are interested in the appearance of the watercraft, and as such, do not like the appearance when the front upper deck 100 has prior art chocks 102 and a prior art crane 110.

To resolve the above noted issues, the present invention includes a novel system for securing and deploying/retrieving the tender boat 104.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 , the present invention includes two features that provide for securing and deploying/retrieving the tender boat 104 in which, when the tender boat 104 is absent, are easily hidden from view.

The first feature is a cradle 250 formed as a cavity in the front upper deck 200 of the watercraft 201 in which the tender boat 104 rests when the tender boat 104 is present. In some embodiments, the cradle 250 conforms to the shape of the hull of the tender boat 104 to provide a snug fit between the hull of the tender boat 104 and the cradle 250 so that the tender boat 104 does not shift within the cradle 250. In some embodiments, the cradle 250 mirrors the hull of the tender boat 104. By forming the cradle 250 to conform to the shape of the hull of the tender boat 104, motion of the tender boat 104 with respect to the watercraft 201 is limited, though it is still anticipated that tie-downs or cleats 252 (e.g., pop-up cleats) be provided to secure the tender boat 104 to the front upper deck 200 of the watercraft 201 as in FIG. 4 .

To deploy and return the tender boat 104 from/to the cradle 250, a crane 260 is provided, and in a preferred embodiment, the crane 260 is secured to the substructure of the watercraft 201 as shown in FIG. 8 . The crane mast 264 extends to a position above the front upper deck 200 of the watercraft 201 when in use and retracts into a storage position beneath the front upper deck 200 of the watercraft 201 for storage. The crane 260 includes a crane boom 262 and a telescoping crane mast 264. In some embodiments, a crane cover 266 covers the opening where the crane boom 262 is stored. In some embodiments, the crane cover 266 includes a separate crane mast cover 268 allowing for the crane mast cover 268 to remain open when the crane 260 is deployed above the front upper deck 200 while the crane cover 266 is closed to cover the crane cavity 263 in which the crane boom 262 was stored.

As can be seen in FIG. 6 , the cradle 250 (e.g., the cavity in the front upper deck 200 of the watercraft 201) follows the contours of the hull of the tender boat 104. In other words, the cradle 250 has an outline that is similar to an outline of the bottom portion of the hull of the tender boat 104 or a horizontal cross section of the tender boat 104. The horizontal cross section is similar to, for example, a line drawn around the tender boat 104 at the waterline when the tender boat 104 is in calm water with no payload. In some embodiments, the cradle 250 includes a cutout to accommodate an engine/propeller of the tender boat 104.

In some embodiments, when the tender boat 104 is not in the cradle 250 (e.g., in storage or deployed), a cover 254 is inserted over the cradle 250 for safety, reduced wind resistance, and appearance reasons. This is shown in FIG. 8 .

In some embodiments, when the tender boat 104 is not in the cradle 250 (e.g., in storage or deployed), the cradle 250 is lined with an insert 292 made of a soft material or cushion for lounging within the cradle 250. In some such embodiments, a Bimini 290 is also provided to shade a person lounging within the cradle 250. This is shown in FIG. 7 .

In some embodiments, when the crane 260 is retracted, a crane cover 266 covers the opening in which the crane 260 is stored for safety, reduced wind resistance, and appearance reasons.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the substructure of the crane 260 is shown with the crane boom 262 positioned outward from the port side of the watercraft 201. In this view, the stationary portion 265 of the crane mast 264 is shown beneath the front upper deck 200. The footing of the stationary portion 265 is mounted to sub-structures 208 of the watercraft 201. The footing of the crane 260 includes a mechanism 270 to raise/lower the crane mast 264 with respect to the stationary portion 265. This mechanism is, for example, a hydraulic ram or motor driven screw drive that moves the crane mast 264 up/down with respect to the stationary portion 265 of the crane 260. In some embodiments, the crane mast 264 telescopes in/out of the stationary portion 265 of the crane mast 264. Note that although the crane mast 264 and stationary portion 265 of the crane mast 264 are shown using tubular structures, any structure and similar arrangement is anticipated including dissimilarly shaped portions.

Note that in some embodiments, the mechanism 270 also rotates the crane mast 264 with respect to the stationary portion 265, causing the crane boom 262 to change position (e.g., rotating the crane mast 264 to aim the crane boom 262 forward or towards the starboard side). It is also anticipated that, in some embodiments, the crane mast 264 is rotatably connected to the stationary portion 265 allowing a user to manually reposition the crane boom 262 and, likewise, to reposition the tender boat 104 for stowing or for deploying.

It should be noted that the cradle 250 is formed in the front upper deck 200 to the watercraft 201 to match the hull dimensions of a particular tender boat 104. The exact shape shown is for a particular tender boat 104 and the present invention is in no way limited to any hull shape or hull size of the tender boat 104. Further, the tender boat 104 used as an example in the drawings is without an outboard motor, having a jet drive like that of a jet ski. If a tender boat 104 having a lower unit and propeller is desired, the cradle 250 is formed with a recess area for the lower unit and propeller.

Note that during construction of the watercraft 201, there often is a need/desire to produce various configurations of watercraft 201. For example, one version of the watercraft 201 will have the cradle 250 formed in the front upper deck 200, another version of the watercraft 201 will have a cradle 250 for a different tender boat formed in the front upper deck 200, and still another version of the watercraft 201 will have the front upper deck 200 formed without the cradle 250. It is anticipated that such be performed with an exchangeable mold insert such that, in absence of the insert, the front upper deck 200 is without any cradle 250 and with the presence of the insert, the cradle 250 conforms to the shape and size of the insert, matching the selected tender boat 104. It is also anticipated that manufacturing be performed with a cradle 250 that is added after manufacture of the hull and front upper deck 200, donning the cover 254 when the cradle 250 is not desired.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 , an alternate use of the cavity or cradle for fuel storage is shown. As discussed above, when the tender boat 104 is absent, it is anticipated that the cradle 250 be covered with a cover 254 for safety, reduced wind resistance, and appearance reasons. This is shown in FIG. 8 . In FIGS. 10 and 11 , another use for the cradle 250 is shown, that being storage of fuel. Many watercraft 201 are used for long-distance travels and have large fuel storage tanks, but for much longer trips, additional fuel is needed. In FIGS. 10 and 11 , the cradle 250 is used to store this additional fuel in a bladder 300 that is sized and shaped to fit within the cradle 250 and store the additional fuel. It is also anticipated that when the bladder is present, the cover 254 will enclose the bladder 300 to shield the bladder 300 from the sun and to protect the bladder 300 from damage.

Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.

It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A watercraft comprising: a front upper deck; a crane comprising a telescoping crane mast and a crane boom, a base of the telescoping crane mast is mounted to the watercraft below the front upper deck and the crane boom is arranged to telescope between a retracted position in which the crane boom rests within a crane cavity that is formed in the front upper deck and an extended position in which the crane boom is positioned above the front upper deck and supported by the telescoping crane mast; a cradle formed in the front upper deck, the cradle sized and shaped for accepting a tender boat; and whereas the crane is used for moving the tender boat from the cradle and into a body of water on which the watercraft is floating and is used for moving the tender boat from the body of water and back into the cradle.
 2. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a crane cover, the crane cover is arranged to cover and hide the crane when the crane is retracted into the crane cavity.
 3. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the base of the telescoping crane mast is secured to a substructure of the watercraft.
 4. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a cover, the cover is arranged to cover and hide the cradle when the tender boat is absent.
 5. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the cradle is shaped to match a horizontal cross-section of a hull of the tender boat.
 6. A method of transporting a tender boat by a watercraft, the watercraft having a front upper deck, the method comprising: forming a cavity in the front upper deck of the watercraft, the cavity matching an outline of a hull of the tender boat; hoisting the tender boat; positioning the tender boat over the cavity; and lowering the tender boat onto the cavity whereas the tender boat resting within the cavity for transportation of the tender boat.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising deploying the tender boat comprising: hoisting the tender boat from the cavity; positioning the tender boat past an edge of the front upper deck and over a target location; and lowering the tender boat onto the target location for use of the tender boat.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of hoisting of the tender boat is performed by a crane.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: before hoisting the tender boat, a crane cover on the front upper deck is opened and extending the crane from below the front upper deck; and after lowering the tender boat onto the cavity, retracting the crane and then closing the crane cover.
 10. A system for transporting a tender boat by a watercraft, the watercraft having a front upper deck, the system comprising: a cradle formed in the front upper deck, the cradle sized and shaped for accepting the tender boat such that when the tender boat is within the cradle, the tender boat fits snugly within the cradle; and means for deploying the tender boat from the cradle and for returning the tender boat back to the cradle.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for deploying comprises a crane.
 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a crane cover, the crane cover is arranged to cover and hide the crane when the crane is retracted below the front upper deck into a crane cavity.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a crane mast cover, the crane mast cover is arranged to cover and hide a crane mast of the crane when the crane is retracted below the front upper deck and the crane mast cover is arranged to remain open when the crane is deployed, allowing for the crane cover to close and cover the crane cavity.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein a base of the crane is affixed to a substructure of the watercraft.
 15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a cover, the cover is arranged to cover and hide the cradle when the tender boat is absent.
 16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a bimini that provides shade to an area of the front upper deck above the cover.
 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the cradle is shaped to match a horizontal cross-section of a hull of the tender boat. 